Earlier this month, prior to the 2013 Cubs Convention, the Cubs brought a select group of top prospects to Wrigley Field for a rookie development program.

The idea was to give some future Cubs a crash course on what it means to be a big-leaguer.

Message delivered for Matt Szczur.

"Oh yeah," Szczur said when asked if that helped him see light at the end of the tunnel in his journey to the majors. "Being at the convention, being in Chicago all week [was amazing]. I walked out on the field and there was nobody there, but I still got chills.

"I want to be there, and I want to be there soon."

The Cubs drafted Szczur, 23, in the fifth round of the 2010 draft and as a stipulation on his contract, handed him a spot on the 40-man roster. Next month, he will head to his second big-league spring training.

"I trained hard last year, but I feel like I know what to train for more now to go in and be prepared for spring training," Szczur said. "I have a routine and that's the biggest thing. And I feel more confident being around the guys."